Monday, April 28, 2008

Somehow I never got around to doing a weekend post! Saturday Ralph and I went to a couple of yardsales- he got a dehumidifier, and I got Eddie 20 videos. Saturday night we went to Heather and Ed's and delivered the videos- Eddie was delighted. Julie was already asleep, so we didn't see her.

I made my first craigslist purchase! Steph has 2 bureaus, which she plans to take to Philly. One lives in my sewing room, and the TV sits on it. So I needed something. I found a 6 drawer Malm bureau from IKEA, and it turned out it was only 2 blocks from us. When we got there, the young lady also had a bookcase I liked, so I bought both. On the way home, Ralph asked if Steph would con me out of them. "Only if she has $150", I foolishly said. Steph decided the bureau would go better with her new bed than her old set, since her bed is also Malm. And she liked my new bookcase better than her old one.

So the ending is that my new furniture is going to Philly, Steph's "old" furniture is going to Julie, and Julie's little bureau is coming to my sewing room. And I'm getting Steph's old bookcase, and she gets my new one. And my dining room looks like a warehouse.

Toast got her summer haircut, and looks tiny and adorable. Of course, the temp immediatly dropped like a rock, so she looks cold. And today is dreary and rainy.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

It's only Tuesday, and I met my big goal for the week. I finished part one of Orange Crush, and made a test square for part two- Yay!

We unexpectedly got out of work early yesterday, so I came home and called Shawnee Village. They don't do deeds, and advised me to get a title company to do it. So I called 3. The first two I got voice mail. (Who invented voice mail anyway? Can we do them bodily harm?) The third got me a live person. I took the deeds to her, and she will call me with a price.

Part two of Orange Crush uses an Easy Angle ruler. Of course, being left handed is making it difficult for me. Sometimes having to do everything upside down and backwards can be a real pain.

Tonight was NCIS. It's our favorite show- usually the one show that Ralph, Steph and I all watch together, if we're all home.

So now I have a new goal for the rest of the week:Cut out all the triangles and squares for Part Two of OC

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Wow, another week zipped on by! I worked on Orange Crush a little each night. I got a ton of light and dark strips sewed together, and most ironed, and started cutting some into 2" increments. Ste 2 is up, and I glanced at it, and got the ruler that will make life easier.

Today I called the Radisson in Manchester, NH and made my reservations for MQX next year. It's during Easter week, so I can go up from Tuesday til Saturday, and take lots of classes!

I also found a website and phone number for the Shawnee Village timeshares, but of course the business office is closed for the weekend. I'll call tomorrow and find out how I get the deeds changed over to Steph's and my names.

This past Wednesday was dinner with the nurses, which is always fun. We went to Terra Nova, and had Italian food. Next month we're going somewhere new to me.

Steph stayed over Heather's to watch the kids this morning, so we are dog sitting. At 5 a.m. the cat started running around the bedroom, and the dog joined her. I woke up Ralph, we turned on the light, and the cat got a mouse! Ralph took it outside, where hopefully it will stay!

Steph got her plane ticket last night. She, Manda and Ben are going to Ben's parents in Nebraska to go to a wedding in June. Steph's plane ticket is her birthday gift. I remember when I could give them a Barbie and they would be happy!

Goal for the week:Get step one of Orange Crush finished

Things to be happy about:The deck is progressing nicelyRalph is loving working part time, and he looks so much betterA clean kitchen!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

I finished ironing and cutting my light neutral scraps into 2" strips for the Orange Crush quilt from www.quiltville.com last night. My feet hurt too much to start on the dark color scraps.

Ralph went off to his Uncle's house, and I've got the dishwasher running, and I'm doing quiet things because Steph is asleep. Only a few more weeks, then she'll be in her own apartment and I can make all the noise I want!

Manda did a blog post on libraries that made me laugh. She always hated taking the books back to the library.

It's a nice sunny day, the sky is blue, but it's chilly out. I'm glad I closed the windows last night!

Goal for the week:Finish cutting scraps into strips for Orange Crush

Sunday morning things to be happy about:A half day of work on TuesdayDinner with the nurses is this weekReading a good book (the new Sue Henry, at the moment)My car- I love my car

Saturday, April 12, 2008

The week just zipped by! I did a lot of cutting, I have Ben's Badass Quilt all cut out, just have to start sewing. Today I made a receiving blanket for a work friend, and started sorting lights and darks scraps to make the Orange Crush mystery quilt on www.quiltville.com

Ralph and I went to a flea market and a yardsale this morning. I got some DVD's for Eddie, and Ralph got some tools. Then we went to the Amish market and got chicken croquette's and twice baked potatoes for dinner.

And this week Steph and I became Timeshare owners! Ed's parents have a friend who is not in good health, and wanted to sell two timeshares in the Poconos for a nominal price. Steph and I each bought one! I have the deeds, I have to get new deeds made up and get the transfer process going. We're both very excited- now we can trade for weeks other places. And along with Heather and Ed, we now have 3 weeks every year!

Saturday, April 5, 2008

A year ago today was the worst day of my life. It was Holy Thursday, 2007. I was looking forward to a relaxing Easter vacation from work. Then the phone rang, around 7 p.m. My Mom said my Dad was really acting strange, confused and not answering her. I got there within 5 minutes, and Mom had already called 911. He had a vacant look, and wasn't answering us. The EMT's got there, and his O2 sat was low. He couldn't stand up. They put him in the ambulance and headed for the hospital. I called my brother, who said he'd meet us there. Mom and I stopped at my house to leave a note for Ralph and went to the ER.

My brother Mike got there right after we did. The doc came out and said that Dad's O2 sat was so bad that they'd intubated. Then he said that Dad gasped, turned gray and stopped breathing, and that CPR was being done. His theories were a big PE, a Triple A, or a dissecting aorta. We had to make a decision as to what should be done.

Dad had been quite clear in his conversations with us, and in his living will. No heroics- if it was his time, so be it. So I said right away that they should stop the CPR. Mom and Mike were agonized, but agreed. CPR was stopped, and Dad's heart stopped, and he died, less than an hour after arriving in the ER. We didn't want an autopsy.

We got to go in and see him, and kiss him goodbye. The absolute worst thing was seeing my big strong brother Mike so upset. Talk about feeling powerless! As the eternal big sister, I wanted to make everything all right for him, and couldn't.

As we left the ER, shellshocked, the staff gave us sympathetic smiles. I called my sister in law Donna to give her a heads up so she would be prepared when Mike got home.Mom and I went back to her house, and I called Ralph, who had just gotten home from work, and he came right up. Then I had to call my brother John in Florida, and my daughters. All were shocked and devastated.

I'm glad my Dad had made his wishes known, and we could carry them out. Dad would have hated living life anything less than on his terms. And ultimately, he the death we all want- he was fine, and then he was dead. We didn't have to watch him die by inches, and he died with dignity.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

I've been going thru my stacks of old quilt magazines and ripping out the advertising pages. Amazing how many pages are ads! I've filled up 3 brown bags with trash. Eventually we want to move, and I don't need to be moving a bunch of advertising.

The early years of BH&G AP&Q is filled with great patterns. McCalls not so much- a lot of vest patterns, all of which went in the trash. Compared to recent years, the old issues has much better projects.

Flimsies

About Me

Married 42 years, mom to 3 daughters and three sons in law. Grammy to Eddie, Julianna and Amaryllis. Cats Sly and Tina, Granddogs Toast and Honey Rose, grandcat Oscar. Missing the late Miss Millie and Cliffie (cats), grandcat Kitten, and granddog Whiskey.